


Hands off

by TheLittleLostTimeLord



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, None of the rape or sexual assault is Merlin/Arthur, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Sexual Assault, Protective Arthur, Sexual Assault
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-29
Updated: 2017-05-29
Packaged: 2018-11-06 07:28:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11031471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLittleLostTimeLord/pseuds/TheLittleLostTimeLord
Summary: People shouldn't touch what isn't theirs.





	Hands off

Across the hall Merlin saw the awkward way Lillian, one of the serving girls, was pouring wine into the visiting Sir Carac’s cup. She stood as far from the table as she could leaning away even as she poured. Merlin knew that posture. He caught her when she next went to fetch more wine.

“Take Lady Millicent’s table. I’ll handle Sir Carac.” The tension in Lillian’s shoulders fell away.

“Thank you.” She hurried over to her new assignment.

Merlin took a deep breath. He hadn’t met Sir Carac before today but already he found him detestable. Whatever he’d done to make Lillian try to stay out of his arm’s reach was disgraceful. The poor girl wasn’t even fourteen summers old. She was a child.

“Where’s the girl?” Sir Carac slurred when Merlin refilled his cup.

“Oh, she’s much too young to hear the talk of knights. I sent her over to the ladies.” Merlin smiled.

“Humf.” Was all he intoxicated man could respond, but as Merlin began to walk away he felt the man squeeze his butt. It was not the first time such a thing had happened and it wouldn’t be the last. Merlin just kept walking. He saw Lillian laughing at something one of the young ladies had told her. He warned Gwen to keep a wide berth as she passed Carac’s table, though he was less worried about her than the child. Gwen could handle herself.

“You’re almost as pretty as a girl, you know.” Carac grabbed Merlin’s wrist, when he next came around with the pitcher.  “If I can’t have the little flower, maybe I’ll have you instead.”

Merlin continued to smile. “I’m flattered, sir, but I think not.”

Merlin managed to free his arm and continue pouring wine to the other knights, who were certainly drunk and telling bawdy jokes, but refraining from groping anyone.

It wasn’t until Merlin found himself in a corner as the feast ended with Sir Carac hovering over him, that his heart began to race. It only sped up when one of Sir Carac’s friends decided to see what was happening. There were too many people in the hall still for him to use magic, so Merlin just stood there as one of them sucked at his neck and the other’s hand found it’s way into his pants, ripping them in the process, and grasped his butt, one finger poking at his hole. Merlin gasped involuntarily at the violent squeeze and prodding. He felt a bit of blood trick down his leg as the finger fought its way in dry. He felt the fingernail scrape him inside, causing more blood to flow. His noise caught Arthur’s attention. At first Arthur looked angry at him, then, recognizing Merlin’s plea for help in his eyes he marched over.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Arthur asked.

“Taking this little tart to bed.” Carac’s friend slurred drunkenly.

“You will take your hands off him.” Arthur growled.

“Oh, I see how it is.” Carac smirked. “Sure we couldn’t borrow him for a night?”

“Go! Before I have you banished.”

The knights reluctantly left and Merlin felt himself slide down the wall to the floor. He started panting, having been holding his breath unintentionally. He rubbed the spot Carac had been sucking. It would bruise and show for at least a week. He looked down at his pants, ruined, his smalls too. They wouldn't even stay up. He’d have to figure something out, or else walk back to Gaius’ naked from the waist down. He drew he knees up to shield himself from Arthur’s view, when the prince turn back to face him after verifying the knights had left.

Arthur knelt next to him. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, sire.” Merlin didn’t meet Arthur’s gaze.

“Nonsense, you’re bleeding. And look at what they did to your pants. Here.” Arthur unclipped his cloak and wrapped Merlin in it. Merlin looked into his eyes.

“Thank you.”  Merlin said as Arthur began to lift him into his arms. “There’s no need for this, Arthur, I can walk back to my room.”

“Absolutely not. You’re not leaving my sight while those two are in Camelot.” Arthur informed him as he carried Merlin through the castle. Merlin couldn’t help but curl into Arthur. He loved Arthur, he knew it could never be, but in that moment he just enjoyed being held by him. Arthur carried him back to his room and place him on the large bed. Then he told one of the guards to fetch Gaius.

“That isn’t necessary, Arthur. I’m fine.”

“You’re bleeding.”

“It’s not bad. I’ve had worse. It’ll be fine in a few days.” Arthur stared at him and paled.

“What?”

“I said it’ll be fine in a few days.”

“This isn't the first time this has happened.” Arthur’s eyes were full of fire as he sat on the bed next to Merlin. Merlin shook his head, unable to speak as those eyes locked with his own. “Someone has done this to you before.” Merlin nodded. “How bad?” Merlin looked away, a tear forming in his eye.

Before either could speak again Gaius arrived.

“Merlin was attacked.” Arthur explained. “By two of the visiting knights.”

“I’m fine Gaius. All I need is a bit of salve. It’s really not that bad. Arthur caught them before they got anywhere, really.” Gaius insisted on checking Merlin out for himself. Arthur, respectfully, looked away for the process. In the end Gaius agreed with Merlin’s assessment and gave him a small jar of salve before leaving.

“How many times, Merlin?” Arthur asked after a solid fifteen minutes of silence.

“Depends.” Merlin tried to sound nonchalant.

“What do you mean?’

“How many times like this and worse or how many time anything?” Merlin snapped.

“Both.” Arthur looked hurt, but not because of Merlin’s snapping.

“Four times like this or worse, five now. I’ve lost count of the other things.” Merlin admitted, looking away once more.

Arthur was horrified. “Have any of...has it ever been one of Camelot’s?”

“Yes.” Merlin still wouldn’t meet his eyes.

“Who?”

“It’s mostly harmless, Arthur. Just some grabbing when they’re drunk. No harm really. Usually never goes further than that. Occasionally a few post battle victory kisses too, but really those don’t bother me.”

“Were any of the four from here?” Arthur asked.

“One.”

“Who?”

“Sir Brom.” Merlin admitted after a few moments. “You were on a hunting trip. I had to stay behind to help Gaius.”

“What happened?”

“Arthur, I really don’t want to talk about this. I’m fine now.”

Arthur didn’t pry any further. “You’re staying here tonight. Do you mind if I…?” Arthur motioned to the bed.

Merlin's smiled. “I trust you Arthur.”

“I’ll get you some pants.”

Once Merlin had put on the borrowed pair of sleep pants and both he and Arthur were under the covers, Arthur reached up and brushed a piece of hair back behind Merlin’s ear.

“I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t do it.”

“It’s never going to happen again.”

“Arthur, please don’t make promises you can’t keep. It happens. It’s part of life.”

“Not anymore, not in Camelot. I will not tolerate this behavior. To you or anyone else.”

Merlin smiled, Arthur’s hand still on his cheek. “You’re a good man, Arthur.”

Within moments Merlin was asleep. Arthur just lay there watching him for a while before blowing out the candle and joining him in sleep.

Arthur woke first and smiled at Merlin’s sleep messed hair. It wasn’t long before Merlin was also awake.

“I’ll go get your breakfast.” Merlin started to rise.

“No.” Arthur caught his am and gently pushed him back down. Then her rose and opened the door. He instructed one of the guards to find a servant to bring two breakfasts to his room. Then he returned to the bed.

“You’re going to start rumors, you know? Me staying the night in your bed. Having another servant serve me. People are going to talk.”

“Let them.” Arthur smiled his devil-may-care-grin. Merlin blinked in surprise. “Let them talk. I don’t care”

“Arthur people are going to think you’re sleeping with me.”

“So?” Arthur shrugged.

“Arthur-” There was a knock before Merlin could finish. Arthur called them in. Lillian entered with the breakfast and brought it over to the bed. She didn’t meet their eyes and left quickly. “See?”

“I really don’t care what people think, Merlin, not about this.”

Merlin took a leap of faith. “Arthur, I love you.”

Arthur just stared at him for a second before grabbing his neck pulling into a kiss. Merlin moved closer to deepen the kiss, knocking most of the food of the tray and onto the blanket, but neither cared.

“Merlin, Merlin.” Arthur purred once the kiss ended. “Gods, Merlin, I love you.”

Suddenly Arthur pulled back. “I’m sorry. We don’t have to…”

“Shut up you clotpole, come here. I trust you remember. You’re not going to hurt me.”

Arthur untensed and cautiously moved back toward Merlin. “If you don’t want to we really don’t.”

Merlin sighed and kissed Arthur passionately. “I want to, maybe not all right now, but I want to. Yes I’ve been hurt before, but Arthur, I don’t hate sex. I rather enjoy it.”

“Good.” Arthur purred. “Because I want to blow you if you’ll let me.”

Merlin smiled. “Go right ahead.”

**Author's Note:**

> [My Tumblr](http://www.wolfstarforever.tumblr.com)   
>  [My Writing Tumblr](http://www.thelittlelosttimelord.tumblr.com/)


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